Entertainment
Forget ‘The Ten Commandments,’ This Forgotten Biblical Trilogy Deserves Another Look
We may know Cecil B. DeMille best for his final film, The Ten Commandments, but did you know that Hollywood legend Cecil B. DeMille made a trilogy of biblical epics back in the day? At the point where the silent era was fading out and “talkies” were becoming popular, DeMille made three historical/religious epics that chronicled the Old Testament, New Testament, and early Church eras. Yet, it was only the final picture in this unofficial string of thematic material that utilized sound, the highly underrated and all-around provocative The Sign of the Cross. If you’ve never heard of this 1932 Old Hollywood epic, it’s a pre-Code extravaganza well worth entertaining.
‘Sign of the Cross’ Was a First Century Epic of Romance and Faith
As the third entry in his biblical epic trilogy, The Sign of the Cross is unique in that it was not based on any tale pulled from the holy scriptures. Rather, it was based on a 1895 play penned by English playwright Wilson Barrett, which DeMille had previously seen. (Interestingly, The Sign of the Cross first hit the stage in March 1895, two days after the remarkably similar serial novel, Quo Vadis, was published by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz. Quo Vadis would likewise be adapted.) Although The Sign of the Cross had been adapted as a 10-minute silent short in 1904 and as a 70-minute silent drama in 1914, DeMille’s 1932 remake was the most earnest adaptation of Barrett’s material. Here, the director moves beyond strict biblical fiction into historical fiction to round out his religious drama, embracing his ability to craft a larger-than-life visual spectacle that rivals even his later works. While some of the costuming was reused from previous pictures, The Sign of the Cross is quite visually stimulating.
Set several decades after Christ, the picture highlights early Christian persecution at the hands of Roman Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) in the mid-first-century following the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64. More specifically, it follows the fictional Roman prefect Marcus Superbus (Fredric March), who falls for a young Christian woman named Mercia (Elissa Landi) just as Nero orders him to round up and capture all the Christians in the city. While Marcus wishes to show mercy to the new religious sect, he must keep up his Roman appearances and way of life — a way of life that keeps him and the faithful Mercia apart. The Sign of the Cross meditates on Marcus’ inability to believe in anything beyond himself, making his complete infatuation with this young Christian woman all the more brilliant and torturous. Likewise, there is a strong juxtaposition displayed here between the Christian ideals of virtue and sacrifice with Rome’s hedonistic and violent ways. This tension is what helps make The Sign of the Cross such a beautiful film.
Of course, The Sign of the Cross was also quite controversial in its day. As DeMille was known to do, the 1932 picture displays both the decadence and delinquency of Roman society, in the form of the “wicked” Empress Poppaea (Claudette Colbert). While March and Landi play Marcus and Mercia flawlessly, Colbert’s performance as Poppaea is seductively invasive. Jealous for Marcus’ affections and unashamedly lustful in her dealings, she sets her sights on Mercia as a romantic rival and finds herself at terrible odds with the doomed couple. Indeed, through characters like Poppaea and the film’s infamous Colosseum sequence, The Sign of the Cross leans into its pre-Code-era ability to revel in its depiction of ancient Rome’s decadence, showing nude women stalked by wild animals or Ancaria’s (Joyzelle Joyner) incredibly sensual dance sequence as she attempts to seduce Mercia away from her convictions. Yet, these moments of sin and seduction are contrasted marvelously with notions of faith and conviction on the part of Mercia and her fellow believers.
DeMille Rounded Out His Trilogy of Biblical Epics with This 1932 Picture
As one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century, DeMille was a true pioneer during the silent and early sound eras. His 1934 film, Cleopatra, was a Best Picture delight at the Oscars, and The Ten Commandments would stun both audiences and critics in 1956, concluding his work in the pictures and solidifying himself as one of the most important names in film history. (This isn’t to mention films like The Greatest Show on Earth, Samson and Delilah, and Union Pacific.) But long before working with Charlton Heston, DeMille’s unofficial biblical epic trilogy chronicled the transition from silent to sound. The Sign of the Cross was only the final entry in this series of religious epics, and the only “talkie” installment. But don’t let that dissuade you from giving his other two installments a try.
The trilogy begins, interestingly enough, with his first attempt at The Ten Commandments in 1923. Yes, his 1956 film is technically a remake of his own material, which arguably makes it even more impressive. Yet, this silent take on the Exodus story is just as engaging, especially as a blueprint from which he would later expand and improve upon. Three years later, DeMille looked to the New Testament for The King of Kings in 1927, deciding that the story of Jesus Christ was the best way to follow up that of Moses. Audiences and critics praised his tender and reverent take on Christ. It was only five years after that he tackled The Sign of the Cross, establishing the religious epic foundation he would need to revisit this historical era later on in his career. Not only did all three of these public domain films help invent the biblical epic as it would later be known and perfected, but they were the foundation for DeMille’s greatest picture ever — and one of Old Hollywood’s absolute best.
The Sign of the Cross, The King of Kings, and The Ten Commandments are available for streaming on Tubi.
The Sign of the Cross
- Release Date
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November 30, 1932
- Runtime
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124 minutes
- Director
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Cecil B. DeMille
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